To Our Readers.

TO OUR READERS .

The FREEMASON is a Weekly News paper , price __ CU It is published every Friday morning , and c . Mains tlie most important , interesting , and useful information relating to Freemasonry in every degree . Subscription , including postage : United America , ineiia . Inelia , China , & c .

Kingdom , the Continent , & c . Via Urindisi . Twelve Months ios . 6 d . 12 s . od . 17 s . 4 d . Six „ 5 s . 3 d . 6 s . 6 el . 8 s . 8 d . ' 1 'lirce „ 2 S . 8 d . 3 s . 3 d . 4 s . 6 d . Sei _ scriptions may be paid for in stamps , but Post Office Orders or Cheques are preferred , thc former payable to GEORGE KENNING , CHIEF OFFICE , LONDON , thc latter crossed London Joint Stock Bank .

To Advertisers.

TO ADVERTISERS .

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Foreign Remittance Received.

FOREIGN REMITTANCE RECEIVED .

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Answers To Correspondents.

Answers to Correspondents .

VV . W . AUSTIN . —A copy of " The Record of the Proceedings " has becn sent you . BOOKS & c , RECEIVED . " Hebrew Leader , " " The Canadian Craftsman , " " The Western Daily Alercury , " " The Keystone , " " Daily Inter . Ocean ( Chicago ) , " "Thc Sunday Times ( Chicago ) , " " Western Morning News , " " Die Bauhutte , " ' " Western

Daily Alercury , " "The Broad Arrow , " " Touchstone , " " Citizen , " " Brief , " " Loomis' Musical and Masonic Journal , " "The Advocate , " "Amabel Vaughan , and other Tales , " " Alasonic Newspaper , " " 'The Masonic Review , " "Charity Edified : a sermon preached in the Cathcdial Church of Norfolk , " " Lloyds Weekly London News , "

"La Voz dc Hiram , " '' The Alliance News , " "Our Home , " " The Life Boat , or Journal of the National Life Boat Institution , " " Scottish Masonic Calendar Ior 1879 , " " Vivisection necessary to Physiological Discovery , " " Whitby Times , " "Daily Chronicle , " "Exeter and Plymouth Gazette . "

Births, Marriages, And Deaths.

Births , Marriages , and Deaths .

[ The charge is 2 S . 6 d . for announcements not exceeding Four Lines under this heading . ] BIRTH . ALI . _ . —On ths 26 th ult ., at 28 , Great Russcll-strect , Bloomsbury , thc wife of Philip F . Allen of a son .

MARRIAGE . PRESTON-STEVENS . — On the 23 rd ult , at St . Ai . dreas ' , Monckton Wylde , Dorset . William T . Preston , son of Sir J . H . Preston , of Beetson , Norfolk , to Alice AL , daughter of Capt . F . H . Stevens .

DEATHS . Ccu . —On the 21 st ult , at 29 , Grove-road , St . John ' s Wood , 'Thos . Cull , aged 6 9 . _ v ___ rr . —On the 27 th ult ., at 90 , Clapliani-road , Evelina Gertrude , third daughter of George Everett , in hcr

sixteenth year . HAYNES . —On ihe 20 th ult ., suddenly , at his residence in Shepherd ' s Bush , R . W . Haines , aged t-i . HuNEy-iii-Hcii . —On the 26 U 1 ult ., 'Thomas Honeychurch , Esq ., ol Alililmay Park , and Crutchcd F ' riars , in his 82 nd year .

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THE FREEMASONS ATURDAY , F EBRUARY 1 , 1879 .

The Approaching Festival Of The Royal Masonic Benevolent Institution.

THE APPROACHING FESTIVAL OF THE ROYAL MASONIC BENEVOLENT INSTITUTION .

The second meeting of the Stewards for the anniversary of 1879 has taken place , and the numerous attendance betokened the genera ! interest in the welfare of the Institution and the success of the festival . Everything promises a most prosperous gathering , and a most satisfactory

return , and Bro . Terry , the indefatigable Secretary , has already announced 253 Stewards , an increase of twenty-eight on last year . We rejoice sincerely at such a welcome appearance of things , r . nd trust that the result will verify

both predictions and hopes . East Lancashire , always alert and energetic , sends up alone sixty Stewards , and the festival will be presided over , as is well known , by our distinguished brother Lieut .-Col . Legendre Starkie , P . G . M . for East Lancashire . In his able hands the claims of the

Royal Masonic Benevolent Institution will be forcibly and fitly commended to listening auditors and warm hearts . We have ourselves no doubt but that Bro . Terry is going to make one of his effective " coups , " after twelve months ol untiring zeal and assiduity to the interests of the

Institution , and we feel sure that our brethren will answer to his straightforward .-ippeals , will second his endeavours , and reward his labours in so good , so honest , so true a cause . No Masonic association can boast a " more solid basis " than that on which the Royal Masonic Benevolent

Institution " rests , " the relief of aged and indigent brethren and their widows . We may feel much , as we do , for the orphan boys and interesting daughters of our friends and comrades , and long may our overflow of fraternal sympathy for them tend to support largely and liberally the

Girls' and Boys' Schools . But the Royal Masonic Benevolent Institution appeals , we venture to think , with increasing claims on our own individual feelings , in that many whom we relieve and support , we have known and worked with in lodge , and their widows seem most directly and

distinctly to claim our fraternal "largesse , " and our personal concern . If it be true that trade is bad and business uusettled ; if it be the fact , undoubtedly , that complications of foreign nations have made our home prospects cloudy and precarious , yet , let us remember that charity ,

Masonic charity , knows and can know no pause in its benevolent efforts and beneficent duties , and that we may well seek to evince to an admiring world , that Masonic charity is still active and progressive , a demonstration , ( if proof be needed ) , the reality of the professions of the truth of the theory of Freemasonry , namely—the honour of

God and the welfare of man . May the anniversary of 1879 witness to that warmth of true Masonic charity in many a high and humble heart amongst us , which asks to be permitted to alleviate the burdens of some poor and failing brother , to cheer the lonely and the mourner , to cause the " widow ' s heart to sing for joy . "

The Grand Lodge Of Illinois.

THE GRAND LODGE OF ILLINOIS .

We note a statement in a Transatlantic paper that the Grand Lodge of Illinois has espoused the cause of the Grand Lodge of Quebec , and has issued a "Bull" excommunicating practically the Grand Lodge of Scotland . We are very sorry for the Grand Lodge of Illinois 3 first , that

it could act so foolishly , and , secondly , that it holds itself up to ridicule and laughter . We need hardly point out that such an act is " Ultra vires , " and has no validity whatever outside Illinois . That such a proceeding will help the Grand Lodge of Quebec we do not belive , as it

will serve to convince all thinking Masons whither the violence of a few illogical writers , or some very un-Masonic minds is leading worthy brethren . Indeed , such proceedings are alike undignified and indecorous in the highest degiee , and constitute an abject parody on all our Masonic professions of fairplay , justice . , tole-

The Grand Lodge Of Illinois.

ration , precedent , Masonic amity , and Masonic comity ; neither do we think that this most uncalled for and most un-Masonic course will he followed by other American Grand Lodges . There are in America brethren who are on a " par " with all , as to the knowledge of Masonic

law , custom and precedent , alike in theory and practice . The Grand Lodge of Quebec has outraged that great principle which , until this last foolish " escapade " of theirs had never been disputed by any competent Masonic writer , that a lodge has a right when duly warranted to adhere

so long as it suits its own convenience , or for good and sufficient cause , to its mother Grand Lodge . Numberless instances might be given in the history of all jurisdictions as to this universally recognized principle , and which may fairly be called a " landmark " of Masonic

life . But the truth is that up to the present the Grand Lodge of Quebec has never hit the one little weak point in the position of the Grand Lodge of Scotland . The one strong point of he Grand Lodge of Quebec consists in this , that when the Grand Lodge of Canada was formed ,

the Grand Lodge of Scotland made a friendly " waiver" of its jurisdiction- and that it can now claim a " reviver " on account of the action of the Grand Lodge of Quebec is more than doubtful . But wc pass from this to point out , that the Grand Lodge of Quebec is

raising a false issue on untenable grounds . And great is our regret to learn that the Grand Lodge of Illinois has been so unwise as to commit such an un-Masonic act , and create so evil a precedent by a hasty and evidently ill consideied decision , in endorsing thc unsound assumptions

and assertions of the Grand Lodge of Quebec . We hope that there may be some little incotrectness in the report , as though reported in the Voice of Masonry , it seems so far to come alone from a zealous partizan of the Grand Lodge of Quebec .

Our Initiation Fees.

OUR INITIATION FEES .

A matter of no little importance to the present and future welfare of our now great Order , has been pressing for some time on the attention of the thoughtful and the serious amongst us . Our present initiation fees are much too low . If it be true that they might have been sufficient

at the time they were settled , the progress of the Craft seems to show that he period has come carefully to reconsider them . At this moment English Freemasonry is threatened with two great evils ; first , the tendency to introduce too many and unsuitable members : secondly the

leaning to the benefit society system which crops up week by week in many forms and many ways . At this moment , more than ever previously in its history , Freemasonry holds out the possibility and prospect of striking material advantages , and there can be no doubt whatever that many are

now attracted to Freemasonry by what it does do , by what it may do , by what it can do , for those who seek some return for " money invested , " for subscriptions paid . We might say a good deal on this topic , from facts within our cognizance , but we spare our readers a too long

exordium , and content ourselves with asserting the truth , which is uncontrovertible , declaring a reality , which may issue in grave evils to our excellent Order . Under these circumstances there is one remedy , which we beg to press upon our readers and all in authority , '' increase the

initiation fee . " We are all awate lhat by the provisions of the Book of Constitutions , no lodge can charge less for initiation than £ 3 3 s ., and in addition to this a registering fee iu London lodges of £ 1 is ., in the provinces of ios . fid . Thus in London thc minimum is £ 4 . 4 s ., in the

provinces £ 3 us . 6 d . Of course the London lodges as a rule have high entrance fees , both for initiation and joining , but in the provinces it is not so , except in some very rare instances , and we are not wrong in saying that whereas probably the average of all the London lodges might be

put at £ 12 , that of the provinces hardly reaches £ 6 . Asregardslodge subscriptions the difference is still more marked , just as the system of metropolitan and provincial lodge life is entirely distinct and contrasted . We have known provincjal lodges in which the bye-laws provide for